Environment Ministry intervenes illegal Aremax mine after worker’s death

San Cristobal.- The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources intervened at the Aremax aggregate mine, which was operating illegally in the municipality despite having been permanently closed. The action follows the death of a worker last week while extraction activities were being carried out at the site. Authorities confirmed that the company had been sanctioned and definitively shut down in September of last year for exceeding the authorized exploitation area and violating the technical conditions of its environmental permit.

Acting Deputy Minister of Soils and Water, Davis Aracena, explained that the company is a repeat offender under environmental law and now faces legal proceedings by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources. He stated that SENPA must maintain permanent surveillance to prevent further illegal operations and that the owners will also be required to repair the environmental damage caused, including land restoration and reforestation of the affected area, as required by current regulations.

During the operation, Prosecutor Francisco Contreras reported that evidence was collected to support criminal action against those responsible, noting that the situation is aggravated by the worker’s death at a mine that was already closed. The intervention was supported by SENPA director Brigadier General Ángel Alfredo Camacho Ubiera and environmentalist Luis Carvajal, who backed firm sanctions against environmental crimes. The Ministry reiterated its commitment to protecting natural resources and human life, warning that it will continue to strengthen oversight and enforcement against illegal extractive activities.